


I Somehow Find, You and I Collide

by Meleth_nin



Category: Nightwing (Comics), Outsiders (Comics), Robin (Comics), Teen Titans - All Media Types, Titans (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Arranged Marriage, First Meetings, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:27:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26460394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meleth_nin/pseuds/Meleth_nin
Summary: Dick sets off reluctantly for his arranged marriage with the Judge; and even though Dick is a survivor, he is not one to refuse any help the universe might offer.
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Roy Harper
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	I Somehow Find, You and I Collide

Dick shuddered as he rode on his horse Calliope. Bemoaning the fate that had befallen him. Don’t get him wrong, he loved horses, he really did. It’s just that riding one for hours was not his idea of fun. Yet here he was, riding to the de Witt estate to _marry_ the middle-aged brutish Judge, also the richest man in the area. As if _that_ mattered, Dick scoffed loudly. 

Calliope was normally a gentle horse but Dick’s unhappiness and restless energy throughout the trip had made her jittery. At Dick’s scoff, she shied away, jumping two steps to her right and nearly throwing Dick off. He squeaked as he clung desperately to the saddle horn, nearly letting go of the reins. Wally turned around and gave him a deeply disgusted look. "Grayson, could you maybe, just maybe, ride in a straight line for a few minutes? You're making the other horses nervous." 

"What do you think I'm doing here?" Dick snapped. "I am hot and thirsty, my ass hurts, my back hurts, and I will probably never walk again. God, I loathe this trip! Also, I _am_ riding in a straight line." 

Wally snorted “You say that” and pointed over his shoulder. “See that winding line? That is you. While the straight line? That is me.” 

"Well, ‘straight’ is a relative concept," Dick mumbled grumpily as he looked at the grey, nearly black, uniforms of de Witt’s men around him. 

“No one is happy about this, you know that, right?” 

“Doesn’t mean I can’t shudder in revulsion,” Dick groused. “I mean, this is all just so absurd, no? Married to The Judge!” Dick leaned in closer to Wally. “I swear it is for that land, Walls. He has already taken over the Cobblepot and Dent farms. I am telling you he needs access to that mine. I heard rumours he is going to run for governor next year. The Judge is consolidating.” 

Wally shook his head. “You and your absurd theories. Better train yourself out of that one, Dickie. de Witt is known to be rather free with that brand of his.” 

Dick scoffed. “I am not wrong, Walls, and you know it. When you get back, convince your uncle to run east, to the Kents. Jack is old and there are hardly any young ‘uns in the ranch. They need you, Wall. The Kents hate de Witt and his methods and maybe General Lane can lend a hand.” 

Wally hummed and looked thoughtful as he rode beside Dick, a ways away from him to accommodate Calliope’s rambling gait. Jack had wanted to come along but Dick had refused on account of his advanced age. Wally had been visiting to check up on the pregnant heifer and had suggested he would come along as some kind of honour guard. 

“I will find a way to send messages.” Dick didn’t know how he would do that though. He shivered at the memory of his one meeting with de Witt. The man had found him cleaning the hencoop and the man had pulled him away and pressed him against the wall of a nearby shed; one heavy rough hand squeezing his neck while the other looked him over in so detached a matter, Dick felt like cattle being inspected. Dick wheezed as the other hand groped him between his legs and nearly crushed him. It lasted barely a few moments before de Witt straightened himself, squinted at him and grunted before walking out. Dick shook his head. He wished he could bleach out that disgusting memory. 

Jack had been apologetic and contrite. de Witt had come to Jack with offerings of money, labour, and horses – all in short supply at the old family ranch. There were too many old people and old animals to care for, and Dick’s inventions weren’t bringing in the kind of cash he hoped for. Yet. Dick was 20, he had regular customers in the rich Curry and Kent farms, who encouraged his inventions and called him for machine repairs; lately they had been recommending Dick to their friends and Dick had thought his dream of one day having his machines working across the entire west was one step nearer. 

That dream, of course, now lay tattered. Jack was desperate and so he invoked the “I raised you card” and really, Dick was truly grateful for all Jack and others in the farm had done for him; didn’t mean he couldn’t stew in resentment for the turn of events. 

He clenched his fists at the feeling of hopeless rage bubbling up in him. Calliope shifted again, startling Wally’s horse, so he sighed and patted her neck. He indulged by telling himself his horse was reading his mind and didn’t want to go to Gotham. 

He looked around and realised they were in a valley now with the steep slopes around them. There were knobby, dusty, trees that offered a little shelter from the glaring sun. 

Suddenly a bird cried out, followed by another. Wally whipped his head back towards Dick and Dick frowned at him. Those calls shouldn’t - . Before Dick could think any further, there were rocks rolling down the hill, throwing up dust and snapped twigs. A fierce war cry echoed around the hills. “Is that - ?” Dick coughed and began but stopped when he saw the men tearing down the slopes. “Run!” he cried. It was no use though. The horses were already panicked and even though he and Wally were both good riders, it was too late to calm the horses and make a break for it. 

They were surrounded, guns pointing at them from every direction. de Witt’s men were already surrendering. One was cradling a bleeding arm. 

A lean muscular man, sitting with a casual grace in the saddle, cantered forward with a smirk. “Now, I don’t want to hurt any more of you, and I don’t think you want to get hurt either, so hand the money over and we can all go our way." 

"Hey-" Napier, one of de Witt’s men, said, and the bandit whirled his huge stallion around to face him. "Yeah?" he drawled, coming closer till the barrel of his pistol nearly touched Napier’s chest. 

"We're Sheriff de Witt’s men," Napier managed to squeak out. "You don't want to cross him, do you?" 

The leader laughed without humour, "I know damn well who you are. I have gotten one over de Witt before and, if I have anything to say about it, it won't be the last." And he stretched his hand out. Dick shuddered as he recognized de Witt’s brand burned into it. He swore in disgust and sympathy before sobering quickly. What if this guy was some former slave, here to just kill them all? Then again, why rob them if he could just kill them first and rob their corpses later, his mind argued. Dick shushed his own mind as he wiped his clammy hands and tried to calm down Calliope. 

Bags went around the de Witt party to collect cash, jewellery, and guns. Dick nearly wept at having to part with his mother’s gold bracelets with the robins carved on them. Once it was all done, and the bandits had got back on their horses, the leader tipped his hat jauntily and nodded to Napier. "You will give my regards to de Witt, won’t you. Name's Roy. We'll meet again." He winked. Then shifted in his saddle to turn his horse around and leave. 

And in a white-hot moment, Dick had one of his wild ideas. 

"Wait!" Dick blurted out. 

Roy slowly turned and pinned him under his piercing gaze. Dick shifted nervously. “Um - take me with you.” 

Wally threw him a withering look. "what the - ! Dick!" 

Dick ignored Wally. He kept his gaze steady on Roy. If this was his one chance to get out of this mess of a marriage, he was damn well going to take it. 

Roy guffawed, then seemed to realise Dick wasn’t joking and his expression turned incredulous. “Did you really just say that?” Then he shook his head. "No fucking way!" He turned away. 

"Please!" Dick nearly begged. "You've got to-"

Roy suddenly whirled on him. "Hey! I don't fucking _have_ to do anything," Roy hissed, his voice going dangerously low. Calliope backed away nervously. 

Roy straightened in his saddle. “What makes you think I would take one of de witt’s men with me, huh? Did de Witt come up with this hoot of an idea for a plant? Are you stupid or does de Witt think I am that stupid?” He sneered with a ferocity that had Dick flinching back. 

“I am not a spy! And I am probably hell of a lot more intelligent than you are too, so where do you get off on calling me –” Dick’s tone had slipped from desperate to belligerent and Roy was turning away from him again muttering something about idiots. Dick panicked. “Please! I don’t like de Witt any more than you do, and now I have to go and _marry_ him and _you have to take me with you_!”

It might have been what he said or the renewed desperation in his voice. Either way Roy had turned towards him again. " _Please_ ," Dick pressed. "Take me with you and I'll do anything you want." 

"Anything, huh?" Roy slid a hot gaze up and down Dick as Dick squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. “Hm. My bed is empty. You up for _that_?"

"Dick! Are you out of your mind? What are you even thinking? de Witt will go after the ranch! Do you understand what this -" Wally seethed and shut up only when he realised a muzzle was levelled at him, this time. Roy glared at him, then turned to Dick, "Your answer. Right now. I don't have all day." 

Dick swallowed. _That_ was not what he had in mind when he put forth his proposal. Then again, there were rumours in the wind about de Witt and whips, shackles, and missing lovers; he thought of the men whispering about the Judge during their trip, and the brand on a hand. Roy was staring at him with a sneer on his lips. Roy was pleasant to look at, had been polite as he robbed them, and hadn’t killed them all. These were all positives from where Dick was stood currently.

"I'm...” Dick coughed as his voice came out scratchily. “Yeah. Okay," he said. 

That sneer dropped and Roy was momentarily stunned. Dick thought he quite liked that. If the man wasn’t throwing Dick’s acquiescence into his face, this might be tolerable. For now. Roy leaning forward was all the warning Dick got. Roy grabbed Calliope’s reins, pulled it over the horse’s head, and galloped away with Dick holding on to the saddle for dear life. 

He yelled a quick, “Wally! Remember what I said!” as the horses climbed back up the hill. With the pace Roy had set, Wally was a tiny speck down in the valley in no time. 

Dick glanced at Roy, seated on a horse like it was the most natural thing in the world for him. Horse and rider seemed to understand and anticipate each other and, Dick, bouncing right behind them, couldn’t help but be envious of man and animal. 

They galloped past a blur of scenery and after a while, slowed to what Dick considered comfortable travel speed. Whatever, Dick had had enough of horseback travel and a few times he was close to voicing a complaint but kept quiet. Dick couldn’t go back to de Witt. And Dick, for all his ingenuity, couldn’t survive on the prairie by himself. If he didn’t want to die, he had to stay with Roy and his men. 

**Author's Note:**

> I like Dick/Roy, they are not my OTP, but I wanted to take a turn at writing them.   
> (Life has been rough under the new circumstances - no time to write among other things - but please know, my WIPs are not abandoned. Things are a little sorted right now, and I am writing the next chapters for my de-aged Dick fic *hugs*) I hope you guys are all hanging in there!


End file.
